Reader’s Cafe

This White Woman Learns to Read a Black Man’s Memoir

Posted on by Jan tramontano

Whatever I felt when I was reading Samuelsson’s book has absolutely changed for me. I read it the first time with my bias against the genre fully intact. I resented him skimming over the surface of his life, leaving so many parts of his journey unexplored, his lack of introspection, the un-memoir of it all, the lack of any emotional feel. On my second read, I was so aware of my white privilege, struck by my easy passage through life, blending freely without a thought. I wore it on every page as Samuelsson went from one white inhabited kitchen in Sweden to Austria to Switzerland to France to New York. Shame on me.

Romeo and Juliet NYPD Style

Posted on by Jan tramontano

Ask Again, Yes could be said to be an absorbing twist on the Romeo and Juliet story. The basic premise is there—two feuding families (with good reason) not wanting their children to see each other, let alone become romantically involved. Wound into this is the American dream story that may or may not have gone awry.

Accident or Hate Crime? The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

Posted on by Jan tramontano

The Other Americans by Pulitzer Prize finalist, Laila Lalami, gives us a fresh look at familiar stories. What separates it from others is how the suspicious death of a Moroccan immigrant reveals the fault lines of our culture through family, love, ingrained prejudice, and the problems parents create for their children.

LET’S TALK BOOK REVIEWS

Posted on by Jan tramontano

Have you any idea how many books are published in a year? The number is staggering! In 2019, print book sales in the US alone was 675 million. And that's just print. It doesn't include audio or digital or global sales. How do you ever choose what to read? No worries! There is a world of suggestions, opinions, and influencing.

The Readers’ Cafe is Open

Posted on by Jan tramontano

Any writer worth her or his salt will tell you that reading is the most important part of learning how to write. Of course, if you aren't a voracious reader, why would you want to write in the first place? If you are reader or a writer or both or just like to read about books or writing or people who write or people who read, you are in the right place.